Love Is Easy
by Rae D. Magdon
Summary: As soon as Olivia stepped through the door, Alex knew that they would not be going to Arthur Branch's New Year's Eve party... (some good old fashioned A/O hurt/comfort sex for New Year's)


**. . .**

**Love Is Easy**

**. . .**

As soon as Olivia stepped through the door, Alex knew that they would not be going to Arthur Branch's New Year's Eve party. Her movements were slow and clumsy. Her shoulders were slumped like she wanted to curl in on herself and disappear. Worst of all, her eyes were red and puffy, as though she had slipped into the locker room to cry before coming home.

On nights like this, there was no need for words. She closed the door and opened her arms.

Olivia remained stiff at first, but eventually, she sighed and sagged forward. Alex simply held her, rubbing soothing circles in the middle of her back. She listened to each shuddering breath, waiting to see if they would turn into sobs, but it seemed as though Olivia didn't have any tears left over. "How about a hot bath?" she whispered, pressing a kiss to Olivia's temple. "I haven't taken one yet tonight."

"Liar." Olivia's head drooped, resting against her shoulder. "I can smell your shampoo. And we're supposed to go to the party tonight."

Alex did not bother arguing. She knew that if she tried, Olivia's stubborn streak would rise to the surface. Instead, she pretended to concede. "You still need to clean up first, and I don't mind joining you. Come on." She untangled herself from Olivia's embrace and took her hand instead, leading her toward the hallway.

They spent the next few minutes in a comfortable routine. While Olivia stripped out of her work clothes, Alex started the bath. She added tested the temperature, added a generous amount of lavender scented oil, and pulled out a candle and a book of matches from behind the bathroom mirror. Only then did she remove the black cocktail dress she had been trying on, draping it over its hanger and carrying it back into the bedroom.

Olivia didn't glance her way while she hung the dress back in the closet, but looked up in surprise when she stepped back out into the hallway. "Where are you going?" she asked. The soft crack in her voice nearly broke Alex's heart.

"To the kitchen."

"Without clothes?"

Even though there was no one else around to see her, she ducked into the closet again to find her bathrobe. "I'll only be another minute. Finish undressing and wait for me in the bath." She gave Olivia one last smile before heading for the kitchen, tying the bathrobe's sash around her middle as she went.

It did not take her long to find what she was looking for. The bottle of Dom Pérignon she had been saving was tucked to one side of the wine rack. Since they wouldn't be making an appearance at the party, she didn't feel too guilty for bringing it out early. "Sorry, Branch," she murmured, setting the champagne on the counter and opening the nearby drawer to find the corkscrew. "Looks like I'll be enjoying this bottle myself."

One pop and two glasses later, she was on her way back down the hall, uncertain how she would be greeted when she returned. Sometimes, Olivia accepted comfort gratefully, relieved that someone understood the horrible things she witnessed. Other times, she was angry, and the only contact she wanted was rough, soul-draining sex. But the worst was when Olivia simply withdrew, refusing to speak or interact with her at all until the night had passed. Alex could handle the first two, and did so gladly, but the third was almost unbearable.

When she arrived at the bathroom door, she stopped, listening intently. The tap had been shut off, and no other sounds came from inside. It wasn't a good sign. She opened the door cautiously, prepared for the worst. Olivia was already in the tub, submerged in water past her shoulders. The short, choppy strands of her hair floated beside her face, and her eyes were closed. Alex set the glasses of champagne aside and picked up the book of matches, striking one and lighting the candle.

Olivia finally opened her eyes. "You didn't have to do all this." Some of the tightness in Alex's chest started to ease. At least Olivia was feeling well enough to talk. "This was supposed to be a quick bath. I don't want to be late for the party."

Alex smiled and shook her head, retrieving both wineglasses and switching off the lights. Both of them knew they wouldn't be leaving the apartment, but if Olivia wanted to continue pretending in order to make herself feel better, she wouldn't object. She slipped out of her bathrobe and into the warm water, finding a comfortable place between Olivia's legs and passing her one of the glasses. "Here. Midnight's only three hours away."

Olivia took the glass. "This has to be the shittiest day I've had in a long time. The job starts to become routine, gets to the point where you don't think twice about a kid telling you his stepfather raped him or a woman crying because her boyfriend nearly killed her. But then one hits you out of the blue, and no matter how ready you think you are…"

"I know. But you need days like this. Otherwise, you wouldn't feel human anymore, doing what you do."

"If those people are human, I'm not sure I want to be."

Alex set her glass on the floor beside the tub without touching it. There would be time to enjoy it later. She settled back against Olivia's chest, resting against the strong line of her shoulder and tilting her head to place a few soft kisses along her throat. "Yes." Kiss. "You do." Kiss. "Because you have a purpose."

"Yeah. It's just exhausting. For every person I help, there's always another I can't fix."

"That's one of your purposes, yes, but not the one I meant." She laced her fingers tighter through Olivia's, pulling them out of the water to kiss the back of her hand. "Your purpose is to be with me. And at least for tonight, that's all you have to do."

"But…"

"The party doesn't matter, and the job can wait until the second. I know for a fact that Fin and Munch are on tomorrow, since you took Christmas. All you need to do is let me take care of you."

Olivia's body relaxed behind hers, shifting further back against the wall. "Okay, you're right. If you want to spoil me a little, go ahead. It will probably be good for me."

"Well, if you insist…" Alex flipped over, shifting her weight onto her knees. Olivia no longer looked like she might burst into tears, but the line of her jaw still trembled, and her body was strung wire-tight. She let her hand dip beneath the water, running it along the tense muscles of Olivia's stomach, and paused at her hip, waiting to see if her touch would be welcome.

"You don't have to do this," Olivia said in a trembling voice. "I'll be okay tomorrow."

Alex placed a kiss just under Olivia's chin, listening to the ragged pace of her breathing. "I want to do this. Please, let me?"

Olivia's face softened. Her eyes remained closed, but she let out a sigh and spread her legs. Alex smiled. It was an answer that didn't need words. She leaned forward, letting the edge of her hair skate the water as she dipped down for a kiss. Olivia's mouth was soft, still tingling a little from the champagne, but sweet all on its own. When the lips beneath hers parted, she took the invitation, pressing her tongue forward for a better taste.

Years of practice told her exactly how to proceed. She kept her touch broad and unfocused at first, cupping a hand between Olivia's legs and squeezing before she zeroed in. She waited for the soft shudder that told her she'd found the right spot, listening for the low groan that let her know she was using the perfect amount of pressure. Her lips wandered down Olivia's slick throat, pausing at her pulse point. "Just relax. Forget everything else. Let me take care of you."

Olivia let out a soft whimper, and Alex continued her trail of kisses, lingering at the dip just above her collarbone. She could feel Olivia's heart fluttering in her chest and willed herself to slow down. It wouldn't take much to push her lover over the edge, but an orgasm wasn't enough. Olivia needed more. Love. Comfort. A reminder that there were good things to balance out the bad.

Alex changed her approach, shifting away from the firm bud of Olivia's clit and down to her entrance. She was warm and slick even beneath the water, and it only took a few passes to ease one of her fingers inside. Instead of finding a rhythm right away, she held still for several moments, waiting for Olivia to adjust.

"Is this all right?" she asked, stroking Olivia's side with her other hand and gazing down at her face. The small muscles around her eyes twitched, and her lips trembled a little, but she nodded her head. "And this?" She began curling against the tender spot that always earned her the sweetest sounds. This time, her reward was a broken cry, and Alex knew she had made the right decision. She worked in a second finger as carefully as she could, making sure to use the same gentle stroke.

It was easy to lose herself in Olivia's reactions. The tense line of her arm as she clutched the edge of the tub. The soft puffs of air that skated past her lips with each breath. The way her inner walls fluttered, trembling with every thrust. But even when her hips started shifting forward, searching for a faster tempo, she did not open her eyes. They stayed shut, and Alex couldn't help but worry. Olivia usually made it a point to look at her when they made love. Obviously, something was holding her back.

Slowly, she kissed her way back up along Olivia's neck, savoring each glistening patch of skin. "I love you." She shifted the angle of her wrist so that she could drag her thumb over Olivia's clit, pressing back its hood to tease the tip. "I'm always going to love you." She slid down further into the water, curling as close to Olivia's body as she could. "Even on the days when you stop believing in love. Especially on those days."

At last, Olivia's eyes opened. They were still a little red around the edges, shimmering with leftover tears, but there was a clear hint of hope behind them. Alex felt the firm, ridged spot under her fingertips start to swell with each stroke, and when the hard point of Olivia's clit began pulsing beneath the pad of her thumb, she gave one last push. "Let go, Liv. For me."

Olivia arched beneath her, shouting to the ceiling as she finally released everything she had been holding back. Her relief was almost palpable, and Alex felt the coil of tension in her own chest unravel. Warmth flooded over her fingers, but even after the water swept it away, Olivia kept shivering around her, sobbing with each aftershock. Alex bent down to kiss her one last time, ignoring the tears that smeared onto her cheeks. They didn't matter anymore.

A minute passed. Then two. Even as the water cooled around them and the candle started sputtering, Olivia kept clinging to her, holding tighter every time she tried to remove her hand. Alex stayed where she was, ignoring the strain in her shoulders and allowing Olivia's fingers to run up and down her back. "How are you feeling?" she asked, looking down into Olivia's eyes. The haunted look was gone, replaced with a sleepy, content haze.

"Mm."

"I'm guessing that means 'fine'." Carefully, Alex untangled herself from Olivia's embrace. Her glass was still where she had left it, and she took a long sip, swirling it over her tongue before she swallowed.

"Mmhmm." Olivia dragged herself back into a sitting position and reached for her own glass. "Hey, Alex?"

She turned, setting the glass aside. "Yes?"

"Love you, too."

A soft smile crept over her face as she drained the tub, standing up and reaching for the towels. "Let's get you to bed," she said, draping one of them around Olivia's shoulders. "You look like you could sleep until next year."

Olivia rolled her eyes, but the stupid joke did earn her a snort. "Ha ha, very clever." She stood up, and Alex offered her a hand to make sure she didn't slip. "Are you sure you don't want to get dressed and go to the party? We'd only be fashionably late."

"I'm sure." Alex stepped over to the sink and blew out the candle, tucking it back into the cabinet behind the mirror. Strong arms folded around her from behind, and she saw Olivia's reflection draw closer in the mirror. "You're more important."

Olivia's chin tucked over her shoulder, and Alex sighed as the scent of lavender and champagne brushed beside her cheek. "Thank you. For loving me. For taking care of me. For knowing exactly what I need."

"You never need to thank me," she whispered, leading Olivia back into the bedroom. "Loving you is easy."


End file.
